Holiday Gift Guide December 10, 2015 08:00 1 Comment

Are you guys in the Holiday Spirit yet?  With only 15 days left until Christmas, we certainly are!  We're both wrapping up our shopping and thought we would share some of our favorite products that we use frequently for gift giving.  We try to shop local and small businesses before fighting crowds at big box stores, and hope you all will consider doing the same.  Enjoy!

  1. Let's get this one out of the way first: we think our products are pretty great (especially the 2016 Planner), so we encourage you to check out the UPstudio shop!  Did you notice that we have a new product?  Gold Arrow Paper Clips are now available as a great way to highlight items or keep a place in your planner.
  2. Little Grey Line* - Jessica Johnson Moore is one talented lady with a sewing machine.  She converts mens dress shirts into dresses for girls, and the products are both stunning and sentimental.  
  3. Studio KMO - Karen O'Leary's beautiful hand cut maps are truly like nothing else you have seen.  The quality of her work is evident in each small shape precisely removed with an X-ACTO blade.
  4. Holly Aiken* - Holly is well known around Raleigh (and most of NC) for her handcrafted bags and accessories.  We particularly love that you can pick your own colors for a customized product.  Look at her shop year round for special products relating to Raleigh events (like the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival held in the fall!)
  5. Off the Cuff* - Together with her husband, Madi Johnson creates beautiful cuff links that are perfect for any occasion.  They are completely customizable, and here's the best part: a portion of each sale goes to charity.
  6. Spark Metal Studio* - Kathleen Dautel is an architect turned metalsmith whose love of design reads clearly in her jewelry.  With stainless steel and epoxy resin materials, her modern jewelry is perfect for anyone.
  7. Tierra Sol Studio* - Who has time to keep plants alive during the hectic Christmas season? We don't. That is why this beautiful cactus by husband and wife team, Seana and Yair is perfect. We can't get enough of all of their cacti and terrariums.
  8. Afternoon Owl Designs* - We have an obsession with infinity scarves: the cozier the better. These crocheted beauties by Rebecca of Afternoon Owl Designs definitely fit the bill. 
  9. Lauren Pottery* - Lauren creates beautiful handmade pottery items for your home. Our personal favorite is the North Carolina heart ornament - a great small gift for anyone on your list.

photos courtesy of websites linked above

A few extra notes: we didn't realize this as we were compiling the list, but this is quite a collection of powerful women.  We have the utmost respect for each and every one of them (and their husbands!)  An asterisk (*) denotes a company that is local to the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area).

Happy Shopping!